A Visit to the South Side of Guatemala
By J. B. STUYVESANT
NEXT morning we call on the Presbyterian minister, whom we had met in the capital, and he insists that we stay at the Presbyterian mission home while in the city. He invites me to accompany him on horseback to an Indian town, San Juan, about ten miles farther west, where he wishes to hold a service in the evening. On the way we pass miles of farms that are covered, from a foot to several feet deep, with sand and pumice thrown out by the Santa Maria eruption already referred to. He tells me that the roofs in whole towns were broken in by the weight of the sand and stones. After supper with some Indian converts, I have the privilege of speaking to about thirty Protestant believers (mostly Indians) on the subject of Christ’s return and our obligation to prepare for it. A native minister was also present, and said he enjoyed the service. The Presbyterians have a nice mission house and chapel in Quezaltenango, and numerous congregations of natives and Indians in small towns surrounding. In one place they have a church of a hundred Indians. We stay here over the Sabbath, and have a pleasant visit with another Presbyterian minister and his wife, who are pioneers in the work in this district. They are much interested in some points of truth which we discuss with them, and they thankfully accept a copy of “Daniel and the Revelation,” which we offer them to read. After distributing several hundred copies of our papers, and taking a number of subscriptions for our magazines, we leave these dear people and start back to our work in the lowlands. As the nights and mornings are uncomfortably cool in that high altitude, we are glad to get down where it is warmer. We spend nearly a week in Retalhuleu, a town of about 10,000 inhabitants, the commercial center and distributing point for a large district. Next come Mazatenango, not quite so large as Retalhuleu, and San Antonio, with about 5,000 inhabitants. Here we see the ruins of a church several hundred years old. There are many such in this republic. There are many Indians living here, and as it is a fiesta time, or holy (?) day, the night is made hideous with the drunken yells of these poor people, who keep moving about until morning. It is extremely sad to see how they are sunken in vice and drunkenness. Few are married, and very few can read, yet they are supposed to be good Catholics. What shall be done for them? How are they to be warned and brought to Christ before it is too late? Some one must go and live among them. Who shall it be? One woman asked Mrs. Stuyvesant for a paper, saying that she could not read, but that her uncle would read it to all of them. Many have thus heard the glad tidings of our Lord’s soon returning. We sold a number of books, and took some subscriptions here, the commandant taking “The Coming King” and Las Senales. The next few days and Sabbath we spent in San Jose, our principal Pacific port, which, though doing much business, is far from prepossessing in its appearance, or from being a desirable place in which to live. Aside from the few hotels, railway, government, and shipping offices, there are only a few huts and shanties scattered about over the low salt marshes back of the beach. There is considerable salt making done here. After flooding the marsh and letting it dry again, the surface dirt is gathered and washed with water, which is afterwards evaporated, leaving the salt with a decidedly soiled appearance. At this place we sell a number of books and take subscriptions, including among our customers the commandant, the American consul, and an English gentleman who orders “The Great Controversy,” “Daniel and the Revelation,” “The Coming King,” and the Watchman. Escuintla is our next and last stop. It is a lively city of about 10,000 population. The railroad has shops here, and considerable business is done. After a stay of twenty-four hours, we are off for home. As we climb the sides of the mountain, we pass through clouds of grasshoppers that have done great damage all along the Pacific coast of Central America during the past year. During this trip we traveled about six hundred miles, visited twelve of the most important places in the southern part of the republic, leaving the message in all of them by distributing over 3,000 of our eight-page Spanish War special, and 4,700 pages of tracts, taking about fifty subscriptions, and selling 114 books of all kinds (mostly “His Glorious Appearing,” in Spanish). We made many acquaintances, and some whom we met we hope will be eternally benefited by our trip and efforts. The exceedingly low value of our paper money, and the low wages which all, even the official class, receive, make it difficult for them to buy books or anything that is valued in gold, although sufficient is received for the needs of those who live on the native products, which are relatively cheap and generally abundant and wholesome. At the time of this trip thirty-five pesos were worth only one dollar gold, and at present one dollar gold is worth forty pesos. We are greatly impressed with the magnitude of the work we have in hand, and we must have help to do it. Here are about 2,200,000 people, about one half of them Indians, the vast majority of whom cannot read or write, and who are very poor as regards the possession of gold; yet they are waiting for the precious truths that have been committed to us. Who will help us reach them?